Automatic chemical testing system

Claim 2

AUTOMATIC CHEMICAL TESTING APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE AMOUNT OF AT LEAST ONE OF A PLURALITY OF GIVEN CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES IN A LIQUID SAMPLE, WHEREIN FOR EACH GIVEN SUBSTANCE TO BE DETECTED A PORTION OF SAID SAMPLE IN MIXED WITH PREDETERMINED CHEMICAL REAGENTS IN A REACTION VESSEL, WHEREBY SAID MIXTURE UNDERGOES A DETECTABLE CHANGE IN PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT OF THAT GIVEN SUBSTANCE PRESENT IN SAID SAMPLE, SAID CHANGE BEING MEASURABLE BY DETECTING THE ENERGY PASSING THERETHROUGH, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF VESSEL HOLDING CHAMBERS, EACH CHAMBER INCLUDING MEANS FOR SENSING THE INSERTION THEREIN OF A REACTION VESSEL AND PROVIDING A PRESENCE SIGNAL INDICATING THE INSERTION IN A CHAMBER OF A VESSEL, EACH CHAMBER HAVING ENERGY ASSOCIATED THEREWITH AND MEANS FOR PROVIDING AN ENERGY PATH FOR SAID ENERGY TO AND THROUGH EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS, EACH VESSEL BEING INSERTED IN A CHAMBER SO THAT SAID ENERGY IS APPLIED THROUGH THE MIXTURE IN THAT VESSEL;

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said control means responds to each of selected detector means signal a given time after the vessel was inserted in the chamber with which that detector means is associated, said given time for each of said selected detector means being unique for that detector means; and wherein said control means responds to each remaining detector means signals at first and second times after the vessel was inserted in the chamber with which that detector means is associated, said first and second times for each of those remaining detector means being unique for that detector means.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 2 wherein each of said chambers are included in vessel holding means which further includes vessel heating means to heat the contents of said vessel to a predetermined temperature.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 3 wherein said energy includes visible and ultraviolet radiant energy.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 4 wherein said energy is provided by a Xenon lamp located within said vessel holding means.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 2 wherein said detectable change is a radiant energy absorbence change; and wherein each of said detector means detect the amount of given radiant energy absorbence.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 1 wherein each of selected ones of the vessel holding chambers are dedicated to detecting different specific substances; wherein the reagent portion of the mixture in a vessel inserted in a chamber dedicated to detecting a specific substance has a reagent for that specific substance; and wherein the time or times at which said control means responds to the detector means signal associated with each chamber is determined by the specific substance being detected in that chamber.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 7 wherein at least one other one of said chambers is for detecting any one of a plurality of different substances; wherein the reagent portion of the mixture in the vessel inserted in said other chamber is for the one substance being detected; and wherein said apparatus further includes timer means for manually setting the time or times at which said control means is to respond to the detector means signal of the detector means associated with said one other chamber, the time or times set on said timer means being selected for the one substance then to be detected.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 8 wherein the time at which said control means responds to each detector mean signal is measured independently for each vessel from the time a vessel is inserted in the chamber with which that detector means is associated; and wherein the performance of desired specific substaNce detections is programmed by the insertion of a vessel in only those chambers dedicated to said substances.

Claim 11

Apparatus for detecting the amount of a selected number of predetermined chemical substances in blood serum comprising: a reaction vessel for each selected substance being detected, each reaction vessel containing a mixture of a predetermined amount of said serum and at least one testing reagent, said reagent being selected for the substance being detected to cause a radiant energy absorbence change in that mixture, said radiant energy absorbence change being proportional to the amount of that substance; a source of energy; a reaction and detection table having a plurality of channels, selected ones of said channels being dedicated to the detection of specific substances and at least one of said channels being variable and not dedicated to any substance, said table including for each channel, a vessel holding and heating chamber for holding a reaction vessel and for maintaining the mixture in said vessel at a predetermined temperature, an energy path from said energy source through the mixture of any vessel inserted in the chamber of that channel, first detection means for providing a signal indicating the insertion of a vessel in said chamber and second detection means for providing a signal manifesting the transmittance due to the radiant energy absorbence of the mixture in the vessel inserted in the chamber of that channel; manually settable timer means for providing timing signals; and control means responsive to said first and second detection means signals and said timing means signals for processing the value of each second detection means signal applied thereto a fixed time after a first detection means signal from the same channel is applied thereto, said fixed time being independent for each channel and being internally available for said dedicated channels and being manifested by said timing signals for said variable channel.

Claim 12

Apparatus for detecting the amount of a selected number of predetermined chemical substances in blood serum comprising: a reaction vessel for each selected substance being detected, each reaction vessel containing a mixture of a predetermined amount of said serum and at least one testing reagent, said reagent being selected for the substance being detected to cause a radiant energy absorbence change in that mixture, said radiant energy absorbence change being proportional to the amount of that substance; a source of energy; a reaction and detection table having a plurality of channels, selected ones of said channels being dedicated to the detection of specific substances and at least one of said channels being variable and not dedicated to any substance, said table including for each channel, a vessel holding and heating chamber for holding a reaction vessel and for maintaining the mixture in said vessel at a predetermined temperature, an energy path from said energy source through the mixture of any vessel inserted in the chamber of that channel, first detection means for providing a signal indicating the insertion of a vessel in said chamber and second detection means for providing a signal manifesting the transmittance due to the radiant energy absorbence of the mixture in the vessel inserted in the chamber of that channel; manually settable timer means for providing timing signals; and control means responsive to said first and second detection means signals and said timing means signals for processing the value of each second detection means signal applied thereto a fixed time after a first detection means signal from the same channel is applied thereto, said fixed time being independent for each channel and being internally available for said dedicated channels and being manifested by said timing signals for said variable channel.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 10 wherein for selected ones of said channels said second detection means signal is processed only one fixed time after the provision of the first detecting means signal from these channels, and for the remaining ones of said channels, said second detecting means signal is processed first and second fixed times after the provision of the first detection means signal from the same channel.

Claim 14

The invention according to claim 10 wherein said apparatus further includes display and indicating means responsive to signals from said control means for displaying a value equal to the amount of a substance detected from any one channel and indicating to which channel said displayed value relates.

Claim 15

The invention according to claim 12 wherein said display and indicating means includes: a depressable channel button for and assigned to each channel, each button having a light associated therewith, said light being capable of being on, off, or flashing in response to appropriate signals from said control means, the depression of each button causing a signal identifying the channel to which the depressed button is assigned to be applied to said control means, and numeric display means responsive to signals applied from said control means for displaying the numeric value manifested by the control means signal applied thereto; wherein said control means processes each second detection means signal at the fixed time therefor to determine the amount of the substance being detected in the channel including that second detection means, said control means thereafter providing a signal to turn on the light associated with the channel button assigned to that channel; and wherein said control means responds to the signal provided thereto as a result of the depression of a channel button having the light associated therewith turned on by providing a signal to that channel button to cause the light associated therewith to flash and by providing a signal to said numeric display means manifesting channel button depressed to cause said numeric display means to display the amount of said substance detected in the channel to which said depressed button is assigned.

Claim 16

The invention according to claim 13 wherein said display and indicating apparatus further includes message display means for displaying a message in response to signals from said control means, said control means providing said signal to said message display means and further applying a signal to at least one of said channel buttons to cause said light associated therewith to flash whenever said message applies to the channel to which that channel button is assigned.

Claim 17

The invention according to claim 14 wherein said energy source provides visible and ultraviolet radiant energy.

Claim 18

The invention according to claim 15 wherein each of said reaction vessels is a solid rectangular shaped member having an open end and hollow interior; and wherein each of said chambers has a rectangular shaped opening into which said vessel fits.

Claim 19

The invention according to claim 10 wherein said control means is a programmed digital computer.

Claim 20

The invention according to claim 10 wherein said apparatus further includes an assay reader for reading assay values prerecorded on an assay card and providing signals to said control means manifesting said assay values, said assay values manifesting known amounts of said selected number of substances present in a control serum; and wherein said control means, in response to selected second detection means signals applied thereto as a result of reagentcontrol serum mixtures being detected and in response to said assay reader signals applied thereto, determining a scaling factor related to the ratio of the manifested assay value to said second detection means value, for selected substances, said scaling factor being used in the subsequent processing of second detection means signals to determine unknown amounts of selected ones of said selected substances.